Rotary
International President Sakuji Tanaka's August
2012 Message
RI President's Message
- August 2012
Dear fellow Rotarians,
IWhat is Rotary? When I ask Rotarians this
question, they often give vague answers. And when I asked myself
this question, I had to think about it. August
is Membership and Extension Month in Rotary, and I want all Rotarians
to be able to send a unified message about what Rotary is and why
they joined.
The key to increasing membership is for every
Rotarian to be convinced that it’s good to be a Rotarian,
and to convey that passion to others. In Rotary, we have a tendency
to be humble and keep our achievements to ourselves. But we must
share them with those around us and with the world.
Every Rotarian has a specific moment that
stands out and has a special meaning. Some people refer to this
as their “Rotary Moment.” I believe it is very important
to share this moment with others. Facts and numbers can only go
so far, but sharing a personal experience can open doors and build
friendships.
That’s why I decided to create some sample messages that I
call “Rotary Moments.” You can use these one-minute
and three-minute messages to answer the question “What is
Rotary?” in a way that is most personal to you. They will
help you talk about the projects you’ve been involved in,
how they’ve helped your community, and what’s been most
meaningful to you.
To strengthen Rotary, we need more members.
But unless those members are convinced of the benefits of the organization
and can share that passion with others, expanding Rotary won’t
be meaningful.
If every Rotarian is happy about being a Rotarian
and spreads the word with a clear, unified message – if every
Rotarian around the world can be his or her own PR department –
the combined, collective effect will be enormous. These sample messages
will help us all clearly communicate our enthusiasm to others. This
will lead to an increase in new membership and in member retention.
The messages are available for free download
at www.rotary.org, and Rotarians can buy other membership materials
at shop.rotary.org.
I believe that the purpose of every life is
to help others and contribute to society. Once Rotarians begin using
these samples, the world will become more aware of how Rotary is
helping people live that way. I encourage you to share your Rotary
Moment with other Rotarians as well as non-Rotarians.
Sakuji Tanaka
President, Rotary International
"Peace Through Service"
TRF Chairman PRIP Wilf Wilkinson's
August 2012 Message
Trustee chair's message
- August 2012
To achieve our goals,
we need every Rotarian
At the RI Convention
in Bangkok, Thailand, in May, I spoke about The Rotary Foundation's
five important goals for this year. Goals that require great efforts,
not only by the leadership of Rotary, such as club presidents, district
governors, RI directors, and Foundation trustees, but by all 1.2
million Rotarians, everywhere in the world – including the
ones who couldn't attend the convention.
The Foundation will
achieve our monetary goal only if every Rotarian, and every club,
contributes something this Rotary year. And we will be successful
in rolling out our Future Vision Plan worldwide only if every district,
working with the regional Rotary Foundation coordinators and district
officers, provides the recommended structure and training that will
result in a stronger and more cost-effective way of Doing Good in
the World.
With a more efficient
Foundation, we will support the goal of RI President Sakuji Tanaka
to build Peace Through Service . We will do this while we plan for
the introduction of stewardship safeguards, particularly for District
Designated Fund spending.
No goal is ever achieved
without a plan. Your club and district should already have a plan
in place for achieving your goals for 2012-13, and now is the time
to put it into action. To reach our goals, every Rotarian, club,
and district should participate in The Rotary Foundation, whether
by carrying out a Foundation grant project, telling others about
the good work that Rotary accomplishes every day, or raising funds
to support our educational and humanitarian efforts. I urge every
Rotarian to commit today to achieve Rotary's 2012-13 goals. We can
do it. We will do it, but only if every Rotarian in the world plays
his or her part.
So, Rotarians, let's
get started.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
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